Hauled out one that’s been in the cellar for many years, for dinner last night.

I see a lot of rot talked about any vintage that was less than pristine, and the older they are the more misinformation gets spouted. That’s fine in the sense that it means that there are lots of good wines out there for people that don’t gauge things only by number ratings for vintages, but it also means that many wines aren’t appreciated for what they are, they are damned because some critic reduced the whole vintage to a couple of digits.

You see this in Piemonte in 1993 and 1994, and in the Southern Rhone in those vintages, but a closer look reveals that as always, weather and timing of harvest played a big role and there are very good wines from both areas and both vintages if you are selective.

The wine showed a good medium colour with pale but not browning edges. It had a mellow mature nose of dark fruit and some leather and a bit of garrigue, and on palate there was some dark cherry flavour on entry, decent concentration, lingering soft tannin, good balance and a medium length.

The 1993 Vieux Telegraphe is now undeniably in old age, and would have been a bit better a few years ago. Nonetheless, it deserves respect and is more MILF than raddled crone even now. FWIW the 1994 is in even better shape, although drinking soon is advisable. Think I might pop a cork on a Seghesio La Villa Barolo from 93 or 94 tonight and make it a weekend of ‘lesser’ vintages but enjoyable wines.